CHILDREN'S HUMOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1972, 7 January 1907, Page 1

CHILDREN'S HUMOR.

The distinctly dry humor of Amer-

ica seemed to cracklo into fire on a recent evening at Parkes’ Museum, in Margaret street, W. (said a London paper of lust month), when Prof. Earl Barnes, of New Jersey, spoke upon the subject' of children’s sense of humor.

Ilie professor, whq lias a distinctly American way of speaking—shall we put it sq ?—-had, he said, observed the sense of humor in children under two years old. The professor had lately been investigating American children’s ideas with regard to “laughable things.” One brilliant-mimled young Jonathan thought that the story of the hen who was fed on sawdust was good enough for him. The chicks had wooden legs, and one of them was a woodpecker. Another small boy was asked what “latitude” meant. He defined it as a clothes-line, because it reached from pole to pole! .Yet another youngster was asked

his opinion concerning his-now little sister. He inquired her name, Ho was told she |ia,l none as yet. “Then,” he said triumphantly, “howdo you know she belongs to us?” “Laughter,” said the professor, “makes tilings so much better, no matter what your life is. It’s like opening the windows of a stuffy room and letting the air in. It is recreation, rehabilitation, and does you and every child in the world more good than any patent medicine ever invented.”